China's Plan to Clean Up Air in Cities Will Doom the Climate, Scientists Say

China is erecting huge industrial complexes in remote areas to convert coal to synthetic fuel that could make the air in its megacities cleaner.  But the complexes use so much energy that the carbon footprint of the fuel is almost double that of conventional coal and oil, spelling disaster for earth's climate, a growing chorus of scientists is warning.

Efforts by China to develop so-called "coal bases" in its far-flung regions have received scant attention beyond the trade press, but scientists watching the effort say it could cause climate damage that eclipses worldwide climate protection efforts.

The facilities, which resemble oil refineries, use coal to make liquid fuels, chemicals, power and "syngas," which is like natural gas but extracted from coal.  The fuels and electricity are then transported to China's big cities to be burned in power plants, factories and cars.

China's Plan to Clean Up Air in Cities Will Doom the Climate, Scientists Say